Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"Science fiction and science have always danced around each other. Science fiction is the subconscious of science."
- Greg Bear
 |
| Stepping Discs | ||
| Open air teleportation pads. |
Teleportation technology takes many forms in science fiction. Most seem to involve scanning your constituent atoms to determine your current makeup, and then sending that information elsewhere, where you are reconstituted out of new atoms. The "old" you is destroyed in the scanning process.
This excerpt from the novel takes place on the world of the puppeteers, unusual creatures with two heads and a herd mentality. They are the most cautious sentient species known - surely if they have transportation technology, it is safe?
| At the center of the intersection was a large blue rectangle. Four blue discs surrounded the rectangle, one at the mouth of each walk. "You may step on the rectangle if you wish," said Nessus, "but you may not step on inappropriate discs. Follow me." He circled the nearest disc, crossed the intersection, trotted onto the disc on the opposite side, and vanished. |
| From Ringworld,
by Larry Niven. Published by Ballantine in 1970 Additional resources -
|
The discs are arranged in a series of platforms, so you can readily "walk" one block at a time.
Another interesting treatment of the idea of teleportation is the ability to jaunte, a kind of psychic power of telekinesis from the great fifties novel The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.
Compare to the telepomp from The Man Without a Body (1877) by Edward Page Mitchell, the
displacement booth from Flash Crowd (1972) by Larry Niven and the
trip box from Eye of Cat (1982) by Roger Zelazny.
Also, see the libra-transmitter from Into the Meteorite Orbit by Frank R. Kelly, the cosmic express from The Cosmic Express by Jack Williamson, Jaunte from The Stars My Destination, the Transo from Time is the Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak and the geofractor (1939) from One Against the Legion by Jack Williamson.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 5 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Ringworld
More Ideas
and Technology by Larry Niven
Tech news articles related to Ringworld
Tech news articles related to works by Larry Niven
| HVSD, Kitty Hawk's Electric Plane |
| Skai Air Taxi Costs The Same As Uber |
| Asimov and Musk - Boring Company Tunnel vs. Street Race |
| Arizona Luddites Attack Self-Driving Vehicles |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
'... designed for rooting in the metal make-up of the asteroids for vital elements.'
'...in the midst of this fluid, which is very dense compared with the atmosphere, shots could not go far.'
'This was to be roofed over, sealed, and an atmosphere provided...'
'Noiselessly, on rubber-tired wheels, they journeyed down the long aisles...'
'It drew its power from... sunpower screens on its low curved roof.'
